Trim machine for performing supplementary piercing operation and an interlocked safety stop on a slider cast



Aug. 18, 1964 L. H. MORIN 3,144,799

TRIM MACHINE FOR PERFORMING SUPPLEMENTARY PIERCING OPERATION AND AN INTERLOCKED SAFETY STOP ON A SLIDER CAST Filed May 17, 1962 37 INVENTOR 7 A 00/5 H. Mom/v 47 BY 56 58 f HTTURNEY All is,

United States Patent 3,144,799 TRIM MACHINE FOR PERFORMING SUPPLE- MENTARY PIERCING OPERATION AND AN IXTSlERLOCKED SAFETY STQP ON A SLIDER T Louis H. Morin, 125 Beechwood Ave, Bronx, N.Y. Filed May 17, 1962, Ser. No. 195,583 4 Claims. (Cl. 83555) This invention relates to the trimming and forming station of a die casting machine for forming sliders of separable fasteners, wherein said station includes means for performing trimming operations on the cast slider. More particularly, the invention deals in a method of performing a piercing operation on the slider, while supported at said station and in incorporating an interlocked safety stop for said station.

Still further, the invention deals with a method which results in minimizing the cost of producing the resulting slider by elimination of separate handlings in performance of supplementary operations upon the cast slider.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain ernbodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic isometric View of a trimming and piercing station of a die casting machine and illustrating the nozzle only of the casting portion of the machine in spaced relation to the cast slider as positioned at said station, as indicated in the full line showing of the slider, the slider being indicated in the trimming and forming position diagrammatically in dotted lines; and

FIG, 2 is a detailed sectional view of one of the electrical controls of the machine.

In illustrating one adaptation of my invention, I have shown, in FIG. 1 of the drawing, a diagrammatic isometric view of the trimming and forming station of a cast and trim machine. In this figure, generally identifies the cast slider, sometimes referred to as the get, and which can be referred to as the workpiece, moved to an alined position with the trimming and forming station, generally identified by the reference character 11, from the nozzle 12 of the casting machine, which is diagrammatically illustrated at the left of the slider. The nozzle 12 has a hole 13, from which the gate 14 of the slider is directly removed. At 15 is shown a runner extension, including a portion 16, which is engaged by grippers, not shown, in swinging the slider 10 from the cast position to position in alinement at the trimming station 11, as diagrammatically shown.

The slider 11 includes Walls 17 and 18 spaced and united by a frog or web 19, as with other devices of this type and kind. The wall 17 has an opening, as indicated at 20; whereas, the Wall 18 includes spaced round and square holes, not shown, which are trimmed by tools or punches 21, 22 of a punch and slider transfer tool, generally identified by the reference characters 23. The tool 23, as well as the slider, is in alinement with nest forming members 24, 25, into which the cast slider is moved to a positon substantially as indicated in dotted lines at 10 when the tool 23 feeds the slider 11) into its dotted line position 10', the nest member 24 trims the gate 14 and runners 15, 16 from the casting 1t) and positions the slider, as at 10, in registering position with the trimming tools 26, 27 and a forming or piercing tool 28, it being understood that the punches 21 and 22 are in proper registering alinement with the slider when in the position 10'. The foregoing operation is performed when the members 24, are in abutting engagement, as indicated by the engaged surfaces, designated by the line 29. These surfaces have recessed portions, generally identified by the reference character 30, for reception of the multiple fingered tool or trim punch 27, which operates to trim the core flash and frog flash, etc. of the slider when in the position 10. In like manner, the tool or punch 26 serves to trim the opening or hole 20 in the slider and the punches 21 and 22 will trim the holes in the wall 18 of the slider.

It will also appear that the wall 17 of the slider has a protruding bearing portion 31, which is brought into registering position with a hole 32 in the member 25, in which the piercing tool 28 operates in piercing a hole 33 in the bearing portion 31, as diagrammatically seen in dotted lines. The member 25 includes a discharge opening 34, through which the piercing slug forming the hole 33 is discharged.

The tool 27 is mounted in a suitable support 35 which also forms a stripper for discharge of the trimmed and formed slider, as later described. The tools 26, 27 and 28 are all actuated by air and the means for operating the same is not shown.

At 36 and 37 are shown two supports and guides, in which a slide 38 is movably supported. Fixed to the slide 38, as by screws 39, is a laterally extending lug or arm 40 and the end of the arm supports a pin 41 which operates in a block 42 fixed to 36, a spring 43 being arranged upon the rod between the block 42 and arm 40 which maintains the slider and the member 25 in pressure engagement with the member 24, as shown in the drawing. Also mounted on 36 is a microswitch 44, having an operative extension switch element 45 in alinement with the pin 41, as diagrammatically illustrated. The circuit Wires to the switch 44 are diagrammatically illustrated at 46 and 47.

Pivoted on the support 37, as indicated at 48, is a slide actuating lever 49, the bifurcated end 50 of which operatively engages a pin 51 fixed to the slider 38. The other rounded end 52 of the lever operatively engages the piston rod 53 of an air cylinder 54, having an inlet as indicated, in part, at 55.

Considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, I have indicated, in section, at 56 the cam shaft of the casting machine, on which a cam 57 is arranged for actuation of a microswitch 58, the circuit wires of which are diagrammatically indicated at 59 and 60.

The several operations at the station 11 are performed substantially as follows.

The movement of the tool 23 in the direction of the slider 10 feeds the slider into the nest 24-25 to the position 10' and this performs the first trimming operation in removal of the gate 14 and runners 15, 16. Immediately thereafter, and while the tool 23 supports the slider firmly in the nest, the piercing punch 28 is actuated to form the hole 33 in the bearing portion 31. Then, the tool 26, as well as the punches 21 and 22, are actuated to trim the flash from the respective holes as, for example, the hole 20 in the wall 17 and the holes, not shown, in the wall 18. With different slider structures, these holes vary in number, size and contour and the present illustration is simply a diagrammatic showing of one adaptation of my method.

The trimming tool 27 is then actuated to trim the core and frog of the slider, as previously stated.

After the tool 27 has performed its operation, but has not retracted, and the punch 28, as well as the tools 26 and 23 have been retracted, then the movable member 25 of the nest is moved in the direction of the arrow 61 sufiiciently to clear the bearing portion 31; whereupon, the tool 27 is moved in the direction of the arrow 62, which results in moving 'the trimmed slider to a position where it engages the stripper 35 and is stripped from the tool 27 and will fall down into a suitable receptacle;

Patented Aug. 18, 1964 whereupon, the member 25 is returned to its position engaging the member 24, preparatory to the next successive operation.

In normal machine operation, if, by chance, the casting, as at 10, is malformed and the tool 23 forces it into position in the members 24 and 25 and it should get stuck or blocked in any way in this position and, then, an additional casting, such as 10, is forced in and superimposed on top of the previous casting which had not been removed, this condition would result in breaking of the tool 23 or damage to the members 24 and 25 and create considerable trouble.

To overcome this condition, the arm 40 would be actuated by movement of the member 25 and slide 38 in the direction of the arrow 61, bringing the pin 41 in position to actuate the microswitch 44 through the element 45, resulting in automatic stoppage of the casting machine, in other words, shutting-off the power to the motor actuating the machine and applying the usual electric brakes employed.

In the aforesaid movement of the member 25 for freeing the trimmed and formed casting, it will be understood that the air cylinder 54 is actuated to operate the lever 49 which engages the pin 51 in movement of the slide 38, as well as the member 25, in the direction of the arrow 61. When this operation takes place in the normal proper functioning of the machine and the trimming station 11, it will be apparent that the microswitch 44 would be actuated. This would result in stopping the machine. However, to overcome this, the cam 57 will timely actuate the switch 58 to electrically bypass the circuit wires 46, 47 of the switch 44, maintaining the circuit to the motor of the casting machine closed to continue to perform successive casting operations.

On the other hand, in the event of the improper functioning of the trimming and forming station, the switch 44 will be actuated to result in stoppage of the machine and, in this manner, what I term the interlock safety feature of the station is accomplished. To express this in another manner, it will be apparent that, although the switch 44 is actuated during each trimming operation, it is neutralized or made ineffectual by 58 when the operation is normal and proper. timing the cam 57 in relation to the normal cycling of the machine. However, when a jam-up occurs, the nest member 25 and slide 38 will be depressed at a time when the switch 58 has not and is not neutralizing the switch 44, so that the switch 44 will cut out the drive motor. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the nest portion 25 and the slide 38 are suitably secured together to operate as a unit.

This is accomplished by Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a die casting machine of the character defined, a trimming and forming station for a casting comprising a nest consisting of a stationary member and a movable member, said nest being formed by a recess between the faces of the stationary member and the movable member, said recess being of a contour complementary to that of the casting, an opening through the stationary member aligned with the recess, punch means aligned with said opening for moving said casting through said opening into said nest whereby said casting is trimmed of the gate and runner, one of the members of said nest supporting a forming tool for piercing a hole in the casting supported in the nest by the first named tool, two other trimming punches movable into the nest of said members and the casting supported therein in trimming portions of the casting in combination with the trimming tool of said transfer tool in completely trimming the casting, said movable tember of the nest including a slide, means for actuating said slide in movement of said movable member away from the stationary member, while maintaining the trimmed and formed casting supported on one of said punches, said one punch being then actuated to move the trimmed and formed casting out of the path of said members, and means associated with said one punch for stripping the resulting formed cast product therefrom for delivery at said station.

2. In a machine as defined in claim 1, wherein two switches are employed controlling operation of the machine and said station, one of said switches being actuated by means supported on said slide, the other of said switches being actuated by a cam on a cam shaft of the machine, and said last named switch operating to electrically bypass the first named switch in maintaining continued successive operations of the machine and said 7 trimming station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,646,851 Campbell Oct. 25, 1927 2,392,459 Casalino Jan. 8, 1946 2,589,849 Oetiker Mar. 18, 1952 2,839,306 Bayless June 17, 1958 

1. IN A DIE CASTING MACHINE OF THE CHARACTER DEFINED, A TRIMMING AND FORMING STATION FOR A CASTING COMPRISING A NEST CONSISTING OF A STATIONARY MEMBER AND A MOVABLE MEMBER, SAID NEST BEING FORMED BY A RECESS BETWEEN THE FACES OF THE STATIONARY MEMBER AND THE MOVABLE MEMBER, SAID RECESS BEING OF A CONTOUR COMPLEMENTARY TO THAT OF THE CASTING, AN OPENING THROUGH THE STATIONARY MEMBER ALIGNED WITH THE RECESS, PUNCH MEANS ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENING FOR MOVING SAID CASTING THROUGH SAID OPENING INTO SAID NEST WHEREBY SAID CASTING IS TRIMMED OF THE GATE AND RUNNER, ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF SAID NEST SUPPORTING A FORMING TOOL FOR PIERCING A HOLE IN THE CASTING SUPPORTED IN THE NEST BY THE FIRST NAMED TOOL, TWO OTHER TRIMMING PUNCHES MOVABLE INTO THE NEST OF SAID MEMBERS AND THE CASTING SUPPORTED THEREIN IN TRIMMING PORTIONS OF THE CASTING IN COMBINATION WITH THE TRIMMING 